Olympinonsense

[amateur51]

Personally, I'm in favour of waxing for men although it may have a downside in that hair traps the pheronomes that attract sexual partners. I think that was borne out in the old Apache dance when men would push the womans face into their armpit to overpower and seduce her in a trice with his smell.

I assume this is a reference to the Apache Nightclub,Sauna and Rotisserie in Lower Cwmtwrch of distant and fabled legend

[vinteuil]

I assume this is a reference to the Apache Nightclub,Sauna and Rotisserie in Lower Cwmtwrch of distant and fabled legend

... o, it was standard in Eglwyswrw, let me tell you!

[amateur51]

... o, it was standard in Eglwyswrw, let me tell you!

[Anna]

Oh dear. It's lucky I'm so good natured and affable otherwise I might get upset at this constant teasing and Welsh referencing when I was merely making a serious observation about hairy armpits!

[Beef Oven]

& that's been the underlying theme in most recent Olympics - the destruction of thriving communities & businesses, because they don't fit in with what the authorities thnink business should be. They are untidy & not easily controllable, but they provide employment & services locally, because they are local businesses, they aren't controlled by 'head office', or owned by major corporations that make political donations. People's homes are detroyed, & they are re-housed a long way from their employment, which means they are faced with high transport costs - sometimes forcing them to give up their jobs because they can't afford to get to them.



Feel good, factor?

Having first read this post, it has taken me two days to dig up the honesty to acknowledge, that contrary to my normal view of the world, this is exactly the case. I witnessed it under my own nose, living in the area, but denied it. I'm not really on holiday, I have actually left the UK for good and one thing I will not miss is corporate fascism. Does anyone want to buy my Ayn Rand books?

[MrGongGong]

Having first read this post, it has taken me two days to dig up the honesty to acknowledge, that contrary to my normal view of the world, this is exactly the case. I witnessed it under my own nose, living in the area, but denied it. I'm not really on holiday, I have actually left the UK for good and one thing I will not miss is corporate fascism. Does anyone want to buy my Ayn Rand books?

But where have you ended up ?

Interesting comments from "The Black Farmer" on AQ about how (and he is a tory FFS)

[Beef Oven]

But where have you ended up ?

Interesting comments from "The Black Farmer" on AQ about how (and he is a tory FFS)

Western Turkey. Pardon my ignorance GG, but what is AQ?

[MrGongGong]

Western Turkey. Pardon my ignorance GG, but what is AQ?

Any Questions

Hope you are enjoying the Euro

[Beef Oven]

Any Questions

Hope you are enjoying the Euro

Lira!

[Flosshilde]

gymnasts and swimmers seem to be half and half in whether they do or don't. In fact, as they're showing their armpits all the time I'm surprised they don't all favour the smooth look.

I'd much rather they didn't - I do think a nice hairy armpit enhances the 'aesthetic' appeal of the sport

[Lateralthinking1]

More familiar scenes have already returned ...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/aug/09/london-2012-olympians-drink-parties

Hell, I think I'm beginning to catch 'Olympics Misery Disease' ...

I am surprised you are surprised. How many medals have been awarded? A few hundred? It is typical elitist behaviour. There is nothing at all natural about spending hours 365 days a year jumping or swimming or sitting on an animal. It is not in kilter with ordinary behaviour. And for what? In every case, it is to be the world's best at something, thereby diminishing the global population minus one to what is perceived as defeated status. If this were hours spent 365 days each year painting and decorating for fun, it would qualify as obsessive compulsive disorder. Indeed, several of us on this forum could easily be formally categorised in that way. frenchfrank, Caliban, amateur51, lateralthinking1.......it is not healthy, so we are told, to spend so much time on a computer.

Well, perhaps, but now approaching 50 and with various twinges here and there, I am delighted that I can still go on ten mile hikes and hope to do so for a good while yet. The arthritis hasn't kicked in as it may well have done had I spent years attached to bicycle pedals or stirrups. And one of the reasons why I can type is that my first love was never a pommel horse. Yes, of course we can congratulate the wonderful endeavour, the motivation, the application. I won't criticise those at all, even if such things have been taking place to the backdrop of Billy Graham like hysteria. As a blueprint for society, for work, for relationships, for interaction, no, I don't think so. 99.99% of losers, albeit fit and aspiring to the impossible, is a recipe for national disaster.

These sports people are in chains. That is where those who never worked for privilege want them to be. It is where they want us all to be even more than we are, hence their delight that many in the country want to be like the best athletes. Their alcohol fuelled release is more high profile than that of those who work as window cleaners or in the upper reaches of Whitehall. It is bound to be. Apart from that, it is very sadly little different. There is a kind of mental illness in that way from head to toe, whichever way you wish to look at them. Alarmingly that very notion is not merely pooh-poohed but the behaviour is presented as emanating from the pinnacle of brilliance. Respect for others is all fine and dandy in moderation but it is going to get most people precisely nowhere if it is built on fragility. The foundations of London 2012 have been dug in unsteady ground. I fear that there are teenage minds in too many aged 16 to 60 plus. There is nothing substantial to the bed hop and no god-like strength in bar sports. And clearly progress is unlikely with so-called leaders who lethally combine utter ruthlessness with the naive dreams of a permanent Christmas.

I had a tremendous day on the North Downs. I achieved nothing but satisfaction and it seemed like paradise. I didn't have to compete for it, there was no ulterior motive, and I haven't had to visit a nightclub and go mad in order to get over it. Each to their own - I am sure that we will hear in due course about who got off with who and who will be in the magistrates court next November. We will also be told that all of the excessive over-indulgence is only understandable before they get back to the serious business of playing games. But this article about Boris Johnson from Sonia Purnell in The Guardian describes him as follows:

For all his apparent friendliness, Johnson is rarely a friend. In fact, although many might describe themselves as a pal, they are usually mistaken. As a critic once observed, as with Lord Palmerston, Johnson "does not have friends, merely interests". Indeed, when questioned, these self-professed "friends" often admit that they have seen the mayor socially perhaps only a couple of times in the past few years. Those who are no longer "useful" have not seen him at all.......One former female aide recalls how she dreaded car journeys with him as conversation would either be painfully stilted or simply non-existent. At gatherings, it has been his habit to avoid "one to ones" and escape the embarrassing intimacy of such encounters by constantly introducing people to someone else......Even his sister, Rachel, describes his approach to those who dare to criticise him as "Sicilian".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/aug/05/sonia-purnell-boris-johnson-not-prime-minister-material

My concern is that far from being eccentric, Johnson is becoming typical. It is not that in this country we should hope for everyone to be the perfect gentleman or the perfect lady. Rather, what we might demand is something altogether more modest, more proportionate, more balanced and more real. Namely that each should be adept in the basic skills of friendship. Yeah, I know it sounds old fashioned - you can't win anything or beat anyone or complain about press intrusion : all those things that ultimately are a burden even in long-term relationships - but what the heck. You know it makes sense or some of you will do. Regrettably, I am not sure that capitalism on steroids is capable of delivering qualification for that extraordinary discipline, let alone a gold medal. It is a bear pit. Can Britain do even better? You bet it can! It needs to start learning how to engage adequately, with give as well as take, and dignity rather than a mixture of grandstanding, fury, fawning and falling over. Being third in the table is no big deal. It has just promoted us to the old third division. We're nowhere near the Premiership yet, at least when it comes to human potential.

[teamsaint]

Fantastic post Lat.
to which I would just like to add that if we all concentrated as much on coopoeration as we are forced to do on competition, of various kinds, this country, and the world would run much better, and we would be just as well off financially.
Competition is a horrendous con trick.

[Anna]

frenchfrank, Caliban, amateur51, lateralthinking1.......it is not healthy, so we are told, to spend so much time on a computer.
Blimey, he did cite me as not being healthy! Therefore, I am healthy!!

[Richard Tarleton]

Competition is a horrendous con trick.

I think you need to mug up on your evolutionary biology....

[Lateralthinking1]

frenchfrank, Caliban, amateur51, lateralthinking1.......it is not healthy, so we are told, to spend so much time on a computer.
Blimey, he did cite me as not being healthy! Therefore, I am healthy!!

5232 - That's really impressive Anna. Having been inspired by the Olympics, I am hoping to achieve that as soon as possible.